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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. tear — from crying
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. charge — a price
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. present — a gift
  8. charge — electricity
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bear — the animal
  11. tear — to rip
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. kick — in football
  16. present — the time now
  17. bear — the animal
  18. tear — from crying
  19. court — of law
  20. court — for sport
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. charge — in control
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com